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Background material, KAIROS Sunday 2008
Conent
Why beeswax candles?
These days, most of our churches use paraffin wax candles. Paraffin
wax is made of petroleum products, pulled from the ground for a
one-time use. Beeswax is naturally secreted from the bodies of honeybees,
meaning that it is a renewable—if small-scale-- source of
heat and light. It is clean burning, produces very little smoke
and is usually dripless. As the melting point of beeswax is much
higher than that of paraffin and other types of candle wax, these
candles will burn longer and more slowly.
For centuries, people around the world used this renewable resource
for light and medicine. In fact, bees were seen as sacred in many
cultures, and were sometimes treated as part of the family. Today,
some groups searching for justice have taken bees and beehives as
their inspiration. Las Abejas (las ab-eh’-has, or The Bees)
is a non-violent indigenous group resisting the grinding poverty
and ongoing military presence in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Traditionally
one of the poorest regions of that country, modern Oaxaca faces
a farming crisis sparked by the North American Free Trade Agreement
and the resulting rush of American corn into Mexico. Many indigenous
small farmers are losing their land and livelihoods.
Beeswax candles are still required for some Masses in the Roman
Catholic tradition and are commonly used in most Eastern Orthodox
churches. Consider making the change in your own faith community.
As we struggle to see the environmental and human impacts of the
oil industry and our own use of oil, a switch to beeswax in our
houses of worship can be a symbolic reminder to live with reverence
and restraint in God’s creation.
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Sermon Notes (Shannon Neufeldt)
For Moses at the Burning Bush: Exodus 3: 1- 6; The Parable of the
Rich Fool: Luke 12: 13-21; Romans 8: 18-25
In the Exodus Moses encountered was God’s energy displayed
in the form of light and heat. God’s presence was proclaimed
by fire, an element commonly used to create and convey energy for
our everyday needs in cooking, warming ourselves, building with
metal, or producing other forms of energy. Yet the bush that “burned”
was not consumed. This is the essence of God: an unending source
of life, of energy. God is the ultimate source of renewable energy
for us and for the earth.
That spot, in the presence of God, was holy ground, but not only
that spot. All earth is God’s creation and home. All of Earth
is holy ground. Jesus gave us the Spirit and continually calls us
into the presence of our Maker. We can give honour and reverence
to God by giving honour and reverence to the Earth, God’s
creation. Everywhere we step is holy ground; how do we take off
our shoes?
Likewise, as the Rich Fool discovered, his resources were not his
own. The Earth is God’s and we are here only for a short while.
Some would say we are called upon to be stewards of the Earth and
all it has to offer, not greedy or selfish, but faithful and generous
with all that is in our hands.
We can show reverence to the Earth, a figurative taking off of
our shoes, by cutting back on all our fossil fuel use – be
it gasoline, plastic products, or coal generated electricity. This
honours our environment. We can be faithful stewards by making our
voice heard in government on issues of subsidies, trade, and environmental
policies, and by being willing to pay higher prices for the things
that dearly cost other members of the human family.
While Moses was fearful, he stayed to listen and be assured that
he truly was in the presence of the great “I AM”. The
Rich Fool, on the other hand, was too busy storing up treasures
for himself and never knew the wonder and the joy of striving after
God’s voice and living life for God’s purposes.
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